Mediterranean migrants

WHITEPAPER:

Irregular migrant maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea

A variety of ‘push factors’ in Africa and the Middle East, including conflict, poverty, repression and general insecurity, has created an unprecedented flow of refugees and irregular migrants entering Europe. This whitepaper gives an overview of the three main routes through the Mediterranean, an analysis of the smugglers and traffickers who are exploiting the migrants, and the implications of this irregular maritime activity for merchant vessels.

The Mediterranean is the primary route for irregular migrants and refugees, but it is also one controlled by smugglers and traffickers. Entering the summer season, migrant numbers are already increasing, having been stifled by recent pandemic restrictions. The Mediterranean routes pass through busy shipping lanes, potentially impacting merchant vessels in transit. Seafarers are often called upon to assist in safety of life at sea operations, presenting particular challenges to merchant ships in transit.

This paper gives an overview of the three main routes through the Mediterranean, and the particular characteristics of each route. As well, there is an analysis of the smugglers and traffickers who are exploiting the desire of migrants to reach Europe, and this has specific implications for the condition of migrants that might be encountered as sea. The analysis also includes a discussion of the experience of merchant vessels rescuing migrants and how this has become increasingly challenging from an operational – and even political – perspective.

The push factors for migration are not lessening, and might even be exacerbated in the longer term by a third wave of Covid-19 in many source countries as well as the uncertainty of climate change. As such, this paper is a timely review of the broader socio-political and economic issues of migration as well as the specific implications for merchant ship transits in various areas of the Mediterranean.